Saturday, April 09, 2005
Russian Plant Launches Production of New Sukhoi Tactical BomberThe Novosibirsk Chkalov Aviation Production Association (NAPO) is launching production of 5 Su-34 tactical bombers for the Russian air force.
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Indonesia to increase Sukhoi planes to 16Indonesia plans to increase the number of Sukhoi fighters from 4 to 16 in the next two or three years.
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Russian Air Force Commander Hopes New Kyrgyz Top Will Have No Grudges Against Kant Air BaseThe Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, hopes the new Kyrgyz regime will make no claims on the Russian air base in Kant.
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Stevens Reassures on Lockheed FighterLockheed CEO Robert Stevens said Friday he believes the defense contractor can deliver the Joint Strike Fighter for the Air Force, Navy and Marines on budget.
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Lockheed Martin, L-3 Communications Launch Legal BattleLockheed Martin Corp. and L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. launched a legal battle this week over allegations that L-3 shared proprietary P-3 airplane upgrades data with a South Korean company.
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BAE wings in to land Eurofighter radar dealBAE Systems’ has secured a £500 million contract linked to supply Captor radar systems for the second batch of 236 Eurofighter Typhoon that have been ordered by the governments of Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
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BAE SYSTEMS To Build Navy EA-6B Low Band TransmittersBAE Systems was recently awarded a $17.1 million contract modification for the production of six low band transmitters (LBT) for the U.S. Navy's Electronic Attack-6B Prowler (EA-6B) aircraft.
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IAF to inaugurate LongbowThe first three Israeli Apache Longbow helicopters will be officially accepted at Ramon air base in a high-profile ceremony this Sunday.
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Royal Navy launches online campaign to recruit aircrewThe Royal Navy is launching a targeted email recruitment drive and online advertising campaign to promote opportunities within its fleet air division.
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V-22's manufacturing defects are raising 'serious questions' (Registration Required)The Pentagon's Defense Contract Management Agency has criticized Bell Helicopter's quality controls at the company's V-22 Osprey plant in Amarillo.
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142nd Fighter Wing planning on conducting training exercisesThe Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing will be conducting a series of training exercises Saturday and Sunday.
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Two IAF pilots join elite U.S. aviation hall of fame clubTwo Indian Air Force pilots -- Wing Commander S K Sharma and Flight Lieutenant A B Dhanake have achieved the rare honour of becoming the first Indian pilots to be inducted into the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum’s Hall of Fame in Washington.
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Car Nicobar air base fit: TyagiThe Car Nicobar airbase of Indian Air Force would be formally declared as combat fit on April 14 by operating Indian Air Force (IAF) combat aircraft like Jaguars on that day.
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Lockheed Martin Receives Ninth Annual ContractLockheed Martin received a contract from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) on March 31 valued at over $125 million to manufacture components for five additional F-2 production aircraft.
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How arms dealers pampered SancoThe South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco) received millions of rands from Swedish arms manufacturers who were bidding to supply the South African Air Force with Gripen fighter aircraft five years ago.
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Indian Air Force to hold exercises with US, France this yearThe Indian Air Force will be conducting major exercises with France and the United States this year, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi said on Friday. He said while the Indian Air Force personnel would be travelling to France in June, the exercise with the US would be conducted in India in October-November this year.
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USS America will be sunk, despite effort to create museumThe U.S. Navy confirmed that commencing Apr. 11 it will conduct a four to six-week series of underwater and above the surface explosions aboard the America which will simulate attacks by torpedoes, missiles, and perhaps a small boat suicide attack.
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THE ADMIRAL KUZNETSOV TO SAIL TO ATLANTIC IN SEPTEMBERIn September, Russian heavy aircraft-capable cruiser, Admiral Kuznetsov, will make another cruise in the Atlantic ocean, Commander of the Northern fleet Mikhail Abramov told journalists aboard the ship on Friday.
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F-16s deal with India may be long way off: USU.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has indicated that a deal with India on sale or co-production of F-16 fighter aircraft may be a long way off.
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Airmen help improve B-2 aircraft maintenance in GuamAirmen from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., are helping improve aircraft maintenance for future rotations of B-2 Spirit bombers worldwide during a deployment to Guam.
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Italian Jet Fighters Intercept Suspicious Plane Hours After Pope's FuneralTwo Italian F-16 fighter jets intercepted a suspicious plane heading to Rome's Ciampino airport Friday, hours after the funeral of Pope John Paul II, and escorted it to a local airport, Italian news agencies said.
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Renegotiation Of NORAD Agreement Prompts Look At New MissionsOttawa and Washington are renegotiating a 1958 agreement that established the binational command on NORAD. The agreement expires in 2006.
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Friday, April 08, 2005
VF-11 Red Rippers F-14 Tomcat and VFA-11 Super HornetThe boys from VF-11 took these photos of their old Tomcat with their new Super Hornet.
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Delivery of the first serial support helicopter UH-TIGER to German Army AviationThe first serial support helicopter UH-TIGER has been delivered on April 6 to German Army Aviation. The helicopter will start operations in the Franco-German Army Aviation Training Centre at LE LUC in the south of France.
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Italian Government Fields Fighters and Heclicopters to Counter Air Threat During Pope’s FuneralThe Italian Air Force will provide F-16 ADF Fighting Falcon fighters, AMX multi-role attack fighters armed with air-to-air missiles together with Aermacchi MB-339CD advanced trainers equipped with cannons and missiles and Agusta HH-3F helicopters armed with machine guns to protect some 200 world leaders attending the funeral of John Paul II.
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Senate Fight Over Marine One Stalls Bill (Registration Required)U.S. Senator Christopher J. Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, tried introducing a measure that would likely have undermined the US101 deal. Dodd's measure would prohibit any foreign companies producing components of the US101 helicopter from doing business with states that sponsors terrorism.
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NATO to send spy plane for Pope's funeralNATO will send an AWACS surveillance plane to Rome to protect Italian air space during the Pope's funeral, alliancespokesman James Appathurai says.
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P-8A MMA to take P-3 roleThe Boeing Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft has been designated P-8A.
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Aurora Flight Sciences Delivers Major Global Hawk AssemblyAurora Flight Sciences announced that it delivered the first aft fuselage for the new RQ-4B model of the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle to prime contractor Northrop Grumman.
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Vance officials: Flight pattern change helps enhance trainingThe circuit patterns of USAF T-37 and T-6 pilots fly at Vance Air Force Base have been shortened by a mile.
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V-22 refuelling drogue under test on TA-4 jetA TA-4 aircraft belonging to Advanced Training Systems International tested out a new drogue, designed for use in air-to-air refueling of the V-22 Osprey.
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MiG designer honoured by prestigious US aviation weeklyRostislav Belyakov, the designer of the MiG-29, has been honoured by Aviation Week & Space Technology for his outstanding contribution in the development of aviation technology.
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AERO INDUSTRY: "SKY-X", ITALY'S FIRST UAV FLIGHT READYThe "Sky-X" unmanned aerial vehicle flight prototype built by Alenia Aereonautica is ready to fly.
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Fluid leak starts fire on Osprey (Registration Required)Leaking hydraulic fluid triggered a fire in the engine compartment of one of the U.S. Marine Corps' newest V-22 Ospreys last week.
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Osprey gets new 'off duty' protectionThe V-22 Osprey is getting new plugs and covers to protect areas of the aircraft engine or other parts of the fuselage.
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Navy to name ship in honor of fallen AirmanThe U.S. Navy will rename one of its cargo ships April 8 after an Air Force combat controller from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron. A 670-foot cargo ship in the Navy's Military Sealift Command, currently named Motor Vessel Merlin, will be renamed MV Tech. Sgt. John Chapman.
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Air Force honors 9 who died9 U.S. Air Force crew who died March 31 when their MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft crashed in Albania were honored in an hour long memorial service in an aircraft hangar at RAF Mildenhall.
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Burns pitches Montana as home to stealth fighterMontana Senator Conrad Burns pitched the idea of bringing the F/A-22 Raptor to Montana in a recent meeting with Gen. John Jumper, the U.S. Air Force chief of staff, and Michael Dominquez, acting secretary of the Air Force.
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Air Force chief defends F/A-22Gen. John P. Jumper, U.S. Air Force chief of staff, said that cutting the production of the F/A-22 Raptor fighter jet would require the U.S. Air Force to buy other legacy planes that could cost just as much.
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Pentagon purchaser supportive of F/A-22 (Registration Required)Michael Wynne, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, issued a strong endorsement of the F/A-22 Raptor on Wednesday before a Senate Armed Services subcommittee.
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Boeing CONECT Contract to Bring NCO Capability to B-52The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a $216.7 million contract to begin the system design and development (SDD) phase for the B-52 Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) program.
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Navy's air arm flies high with fightersThe Indian Navy's aging air arm is finally getting its much-needed booster dose. It has embarked on a mix of mid-life upgrades, planned inductions and new acquisitions of aircraft.
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Eisenhower Certified to FlyUSS Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike) (CVN 69) successfully completed flight deck certification April 5 — the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier’s second major milestone since completing a four-year mid-life overhaul.
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Thursday, April 07, 2005
China Defense BlogHere are 2 photos of the latest Chinese classified aircraft programs. If you are interested about the latest military developments in PRC, visit the China Defense Blog. Photos posted with permission from China Defense Blog.
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GAO faults relaxed arms-export controlsThe U.S. Government Accountability Office says U.S. companies reported 23 possible violations of export laws related to the Pentagon's Joint Strike Fighter Program. One involved the disclosure of radar-evading stealth and counterstealth technology, and another involved a foreign company releasing controlled U.S. technology to another foreign country.
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England says F-35 issues resolved (Registration Required)U.S. Navy Secretary Gordon England told reporters while visiting Lockheed's Fort Worth assembly plant the F-35 joint strike fighter program appear to have resolved the weight and other technical issues.
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U.S. Copter Crash Kills 16 in AfghanistanA U.S. military CH-47 Chinook helicopter has crashed in south-eastern Afghanistan, with 16 people dead and 2 unaccounted for.
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The myth of an Israeli strike on IranThere is much talk these days of an impending Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, yet a careful examination of the various logistical, operational feasibility as well as geopolitical and regional aspects or consequences of this much-debated scenario leads to the opposite conclusion.
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Fly like an EagleHis nickname is "Ice" for his calmness during pressure situations. But South Korean Air Force pilot Maj. Kim Sung Dae couldn't mask his emotions minutes before the unveiling of the first F-15K Strike Eagle fighter aircraft for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF).
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Helicopter Company Wins Sea King Support ContractThe U.K. Ministry of Defence has awarded a £300 million contract to AgustaWestland for spare parts, upkeep and repair of the U.K.’s 102 Sea King helicopters.
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Modernized Jayhawk In Revised USCG Deepwater PlanThe United States Coast Guard will upgrade and modernize its current Sikorsky HH-60J JAYHAWK helicopter to MH-60T will be fitted with a new state-of-the-art cockpit, new search /weather radar and Electro-Optics/IR units, upgraded engines and airframe.
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CIS Air Defense Practised on Russia's Missile CarriersDuring a military exercise held on Tuesday, Russian Tu-160, Tu-95MS as well as Tu-22M3 from the 22nd air division were redeployed from Russia to Belarus, while simultaneously acting as a potential enemy for the Belarus air defense.
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Nimitz Strike Group Completes JTFEX 05-03USS Nimitz (CVN 68) arrived at Naval Air Station North Island March 24 after completing Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) 05-03 off the coast of Southern California with Carrier Strike Group 11.
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CVW-7 Arrives Aboard IkeFor the first time since 2001, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7 personnel began to embark aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike) (CVN 69) March 28 for the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier’s flight deck certification, following a four-year mid-life overhaul.
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IAF pilots to fly F16s in joint air exerciseAt a meeting of the Executive Steering Group under the Indo-US Defence Policy Group (DPG), the Indian Air Force conveyed its desire to have E-3 AWACS take part in Cope Thunder this year.
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F/A-22 Getting Software Fix For Flight Control SystemThe U.S. Air Force is modifying software on the F/A-22 Raptor to remove a glitch in the flight control system.
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Sea King case going aheadCanada's Federal Court of Appeal has cleared the way for a full trial over Ottawa's handling of a $5-billion contract to replace the military's fleet of aging Sea King helicopters.
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Air support unit becomes Air Guard's most decoratedThe 238th Air Support Operations Squadron has become the most decorated squadron in the Mississippi Air National Guard. The unit helps provide close air support, including surveillance, reconnaissance, airlift, electronic warfare, and special operations for U.S. Army combat forces.
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Boeing Completes SBSS Pathfinder Preliminary Design ReviewBoeing, in partnership with Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, has successfully completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) Pathfinder system.
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Navy secretary, United Arab Emirates ambassador discuss F-16s (Registration Required)Alasri Saeed Al Dhahri, the United Arab Emirates ambassador to the United States, visited Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. with U.S. Navy Secretary Gordon R. England to receive updates on the F-16 program.
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USS Carl Vinson F/A-18s Strike Insurgents in IraqStrike fighter aircraft from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, flying from the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the Persian Gulf, attacked an enemy insurgent location east of Baghdad, Iraq, April 4.
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Bulgaria Purchases Italian Aircrafts Within MonthBulgaria has chosen the Italian Alenia Aeronautica company for the purchase of eight C-27J Spartan, Defense Minister Nikolay Svinarov confirmed Wednesday.
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Indo-US joint fighter exercise in NovemberBetween 8 to 12 USAF F-16s would be taking part in the exercise 'Cope Thunder Three' with India in November this year.
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Little Rock takes delivery of C-130-JThe second C-130J for Little Rock Air Force Base, home to the Pentagon’s basic C-130 training school and the largest fleet of C-130s in the world, has arrived.
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Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Czech military accepts Sidewinders from U.S.The Czech government accepted 80 Sidewinder missiles for use on their JAS-39 Gripen and L-159 jets.
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SAF Facilitates Access by Others into Areas Affected by EarthquakeThe three RSAF Chinook helicopters have airlifted humanitarian aid supplies and rescue workers from various other armed forces and civilian rescue agencies in Sumatra. On 4 Apr 05, the Chinooks ferried a 13-member Royal Australian Navy (RAN) flying safety investigation team from Sibolga to the RAN Sea King helicopter crash site.
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Black box recovered from crashed Australian navy helicopterAustralian investigators have recovered the flight data recorder from the wreckage of the Sea King helicopter that crashed during an aid mission to earthquake-stricken Indonesia last Saturday.
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U.S. Drones Crowd Iraq's Skies to Fight Insurgents (Registration Required)In the skies over Iraq, the number of remotely piloted aircraft has shot up to more than 700 now from just a handful four years ago, military officials say.
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Georgia Denies Entry to Russian Spy PlaneGeorgia denied a Russian A-50 (NATO codename: Mainstay) to over fly Georgia as a part of the maneuvers of the air forces of the Commonwealth of Independent State (CIS) member countries.
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Secretary of the Navy announces decision to review status of Capt. SpeicherUpon review of an intelligence community report regarding the case of Capt. Michael Scott Speicher, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Gordon England directed the Chief of Naval Personnel to convene a board to review the classification of Speicher’s status as Missing/Captured.
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JF-17 project launched: Minimum deterrence will be maintainedPakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday launched the JF-17 Thunder aircraft production project.
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Iskander-E 'designed to counter Western TMDs' Russia's Iskander-E short-range ballistic missile is designed to defeat Western ballistic missile defence systems, particularly the Patriot Advanced Capability PAC-2/3 low-to-high altitude air-defence system, according to Uzi Rubin, former director of Israel's Missile Defence Agency.
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Next-generation targeting pods give pilots even sharper eyes in the skyThe Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, quadruples the zoom power of the equipment being used on most U.S. Air Force planes.
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Quantum3D Announces Independence 2500 IG Solution Selected for B-2 Simulator ProgramQuantum3D®, Inc., announced that the Quantum3D Independence™ 2500 Image Generator (IG) Solution has been selected by Northrop Grumman Corporation for use in the Pilot Evaluation Simulator (PES) for the B-2 Stealth Bomber.
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Crew fatigue ruled out as factorAustralian Defense Minister Robert Hill has ruled out crew fatigue as a factor in the Sea King crash.
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Raytheon Delivers 1,000th AIM-9X Sidewinder to U.S. Navy and U.S. Air ForceRaytheon Company celebrated the delivery of the 1,000th AIM-9X to the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force March 29.
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Missiles to guard Pope's funeralIn preparation for a gathering of world leaders in Rome on Friday for Pope John Paul II's funeral, authorities in Rome are putting in place a defence shield that will include a no-fly zone and anti-aircraft missiles.
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Joint Red Flag concludesThe first U.S. forces and coalition Joint Red Flag exercise concluded April 2.
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Raytheon Awarded $200 Million Contract for Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air MissilesRaytheon Company has received a $200 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for continued production of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air missile (AMRAAM).
The contract, originally announced by the Department of Defense on Dec. 22, 2004, includes 434 AMRAAMs.
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Israel, U.S. hold joint missile defense exercises, officials sayIsrael and the United States are conducting large-scale missile defense exercises, code-named "Juniper Cobra," aimed at combining systems from both nations. The tests include integrating the Israeli-made Arrow anti-ballistic missiles with the U.S. Patriot system to create a multi-layer air defense system.
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Major Radar Upgrade Completed on U-S AWACS FleetBoeing announced the completion of the final Radar System Improvement Program, or RSIP, kit installation on the U.S. Air Force’s fleet of 32 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.
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F-16: Air Force to be heardThe Indian Air Force brass found the F-18 to be on the heavier side and not quite in step with their requirements.
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Tuesday, April 05, 2005
First RAF Typhoon squadron moves to permanent homeThe first Royal Air Force Typhoon squadron, 17 (Reserve) Squadron, has left BAE Systems Warton site for RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, their first RAF base in the UK. Image is Crown Copyright.
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State-of-the-Art Helicopter Arrives in IraqA RAF Merlin helicopter has arrived in Iraq following a 3,500-mile four-day journey from its base at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire for its first operational tour in the Middle East.
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Air Force Updates EmblemThe South Korean Air Force said Monday it has revised its emblem Taeguk design on aircrafts after 57 years as part of efforts to instill a sense of pride in the country's Air Force. The new design added three solid bars, called kon, both sides of the Taeguk mark, replacing red lines both sides of the mark and blue outlines for the previous one.
New emblem
Old emblem
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Howard, Yudhoyono lay wreaths for Sea King victimsIndonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who's currently in Australia, and Australian Prime Minister laid wreaths for the nine dead Sea King victims at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Canberra. The Indonesian Government will bestow upon the 11 Australians, medals of honour.
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Indian Navy hopes to acquire "blue water capability": AdmiralIndian Navy hopes to acquire "blue water capability" in the next 15 years with the addition of two Aircraft Carriers and more long range spy planes
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Singapore and Australia in joint maritime exerciseThe Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is hosting Exercise Singaroo, a joint maritime exercise involving the navies and air forces of Singapore and Australia. Australia is participating in the exercise with one P3C Orion aircraft. Singapore is participating with F50 maritime patrol aircraft, F16 and F5 fighters, and a E2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft.
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S. Korea may move up radar satelliteSouth Korea has announced plans to move up the launch date for a radar-equipped satellite, Arirang V, that can provide images at night and in clouds to 2008.
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Boeing-led Industry Team Completes Sea-Based X-Band Radar IntegrationThe Boeing-led Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX) industry team has integrated the SBX radar onto its sea-going platform in Corpus Christi, Texas, marking a major integration milestone in the program.
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San Antonio loses out on bid for Airbus plantFort Worth, Houston and Brownsville are three Texas locations EADS is considering for a KC-330 advanced tanker aircraft assembly plant.
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Sea Kings' buyer welcomes groundingRetired Commodore Norman Lee, the former Australian Navy director who chose the Sea King helicopter for purchase about 30 years ago, says the move to ground the fleet is a sensible precautionary decision.
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Belarus places anti-aircraft missile brigade on alertThe Belarussian air force's 302nd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade has been placed on red alert as part of military exercises.
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Russian Officer Gets 4 Years for Fatal Helicopter CollisionA Russian military court has sentenced the deputy commander of an air force unit, Lieutenant-Colonel Gennady Golobchansky, to four years in jail after finding him guilty of violating air traffic rules that resulted in the collision of the two Mi-24 helicopters in August 2003. Six crewmembers were killed in the incident.
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Turkey Interested in Mid-Range Chinese MissilesTurkish Air Force Commander General H. Ibrahim Firtina has said that Turkey is interested in the mid-range air defense missiles, produce by China.
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Hornet squadron edges Tomcats out of the nestFor the pilots and flight officers of the VFA-211 "Fighting Checkmates," last Friday was the end of the beginning. For squadrons still flying the aging Tomcat, it was the beginning of the end.
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French Mirage crashes in test flightA Mirage 2000-9 crashed in southern France on Monday during a test flight before its delivery to Abu Dhabi, military officials said.
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Legislation to block F-16 sales soonUS Congressman Gary Ackerman will introduce a legislation to block F-16 fighter sales to Pakistan unless it allows American investigators to question A.Q. Khan, the father of Islamabad's nuclear programme.
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Greens urge Schroeder to keep China arms banGerman Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Greens coalition partners on Monday urged the German leader to end his support for lifting a European Union arms embargo imposed on China after Beijing's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 1989.
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Safety query on crash helicopter seats (Registration Required)More of those aboard the Australian Sea King helicopter that crashed in Indonesia might have escaped before it exploded if it had been fitted with modern seats designed to absorb the impact, sources say.
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DAB Will Meet June 7 On CVN-21 Aircraft CarrierThe Pentagon's Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) will meet June 7 to review the futuristic CVN-21 aircraft carrier.
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Global Hawk Reaches 4,000th Combat Flight Hour Supporting the Global War on TerrorismNorthrop Grumman Corporation's RQ-4 Global Hawk reached 4,000 combat hours on March 23 during an operational mission in support of the war on terrorism.
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Chopper crash gets Canada's attentionCanada's military is interested in finding out what happened to the Australian navy's Sea King that crashed Saturday on Indonesia's Nias Island.
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Boeing to Modify C-130s for Special Operations MissionThe Boeing Company has been awarded a $134 million contract by the U.S. Air Force to begin the first phase of a program to modify 10 C-130 aircraft into the MC-130H Combat Talon II configuration.
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Northrop Grumman to Perform Structural Inspection of U.S. Navy's P-3C AircraftNorthrop Grumman Corporation has been selected to inspect the wings of U.S. Navy P-3C Orion aircraft in order to identify and correct structural fatigue problems.
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Monday, April 04, 2005
Lt. j.g. Meagan Varley, Public Affairs Officer for VF-213 'Fighting Blacklions' has kindly allowed me to publish her articles on the Blacklions, we look forward to more articles in future. Thank You Lt. Varley.
VF-213 and VF-31 are scheduled to be the last Tomcat squadrons to deploy before the aircraft is replaced with F/A-18 Super Hornets in 2006. Alert5 will try its best to keep you updated on the final days of the F-14 Tomcat.
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VF-213 'Blacklions' hone bombing skills in Fallon
by Lt. Jg. Meagan Varley, PAO VF-213
The 'Fighting Blacklions' of Fighter Squadron 213 traveled to sunny NAS Fallon, Nev. to participate in Air-to-Ground Strike Fighter Advanced Readiness Program. From Feb. 12 to March 5, the Blacklions along with other members of Carrier Air wing 8 flew cross-country to take advantage the excellent live bombing ranges found in western Nevada. For three weeks the air crews worked on their proficiency as air-to-ground bombers completing more than 200 sorties and logging 297 flight hours.
The focus of the Blacklion's training was to prepare for their upcoming deployment at the end of the summer. With this in mind and despite unsupportive weather, 48 Strike Fighter Weapons Training events for individual air crew and 33 SFARP events were completed. In addition to this, multiple flights to complete Night Vision Devices qualifications were flown, and five new air crew were qualified.
Despite the weather and long hours the Blacklions maintainers worked hard to keep the jets flying and well armed with ordnance. Their dedication kept the jets running at peak performance and enabled the Blacklions to drop more than 53 tons of ordnance. Throughout the course of the detachment 116 MK-82s, 18 MK-83s and 617 rounds of 20MM were expended from the jets. This invaluable training was completed due to the hard work and long hours of the VF-213 maintainers and ground support.
VF-213 will continue to rely on the dedication of its troops on their upcoming training on board USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) to complete Tailored Ship's Training Assessment.
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PM defends Sea Kings after deadly crashPrime Minister John Howard, Australian Defence Force chief General Peter Cosgrove and Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has defended the Australian Navy's use of Sea King helicopters after an accident that claimed the lives of nine Australian Defence Force personnel in Indonesia.
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Ridge native lands damaged Navy plane safelyLt. Jason Weaver, VAW-126, was presented the U.S. Navy Achievement Medal last month when he successfully recovered an E-2C back on the carrier USS Harry Truman after its starboard engine died.
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IAF finds major flaw in MiG, seeks help from Russian contractorsThe Indian Air Force has found flaws in the ‘first stage disc’ of its MiG-27’s R-29B-300 engine.
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A wave, then the chopper dived (Registration Required)Villagers on the Indonesia Island of Nias saw one of the Australian crew in the Sea King helicopter wave to a crowd below before it crash.
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Attacking Iraq, from a Nev. computerWhile their Predator planes are in the Middle East, the USAF 15th and 17th Expeditionary Reconnaissance squadrons pilots who fly them operate from a low-slung command center in the Nevada desert, closer to the Las Vegas strip than to Baghdad.
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Arms deal: those Hawk jets cost us double...South Africa's government paid more than double for its Hawk 100 fighter-trainer jets than the price of MB339FB preferred by defence force experts.
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IDF unveils ultra-modern weaponsThe first three of the eighteen Israeli Air Force AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters that will be known as "Sarafs" arrived Sunday.
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Inquiry promises to solve Gagarin death riddleNearly 40 years after Yuri Gagarin's death in a MiG-15, Igor Kuznetsov, a former member of the State Institute of Exploitation and Repairs of Air Force Aviation Equipment, has demanded that the case be reopened.
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Sunday, April 03, 2005
Singapore retires its A-4SU Super Skyhawks
On Mar. 31, the locally modified Super Skyhawk made its last appearance over the skies of Singapore when 12 TA-4SUs flew over Tengah Air Base with the Chief of Air Force being the last person to land. A-4SUs are still being used for Advance Jet Training in France. Photo Credit Viper52.
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Marines to remember 19 who died in MaranaNineteen U.S. Marines who died five years ago when the MV-22 Osprey that was carrying them crashed in Marana, will be remembered in a memorial service today.
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French and Italians in talks to be €12.5bn alliesWell-placed sources said that Thales, the French arms and electronics company, had held discussions with its Italian rival Finmeccanica.
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USFJ, Japan agree to new guidelines for handling off-base aircraft crashesThe U.S.-Japan Joint Committee in Tokyo approved new guidelines Friday for handling off-base accidents involving U.S. military aircraft.
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Boeing secures pact to upgrade B-52 bombersBoeing secured a $216.7 million contract from the USAF to design and develop key upgrades to its fleet of B-52 aircraft.
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Nine Aussies dead in chopper crash: reportsA Royal Australian Navy Sea King helicopter have crash on the Indonesian island of Nias. Two on board the helicopter survived and were airlifted back to the HMAS Kanimbla for emergency surgery.
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UAV crashes near Bikaner, no casualtiesAn Indian Army's UAV, on a "routine surveillance mission", crashed 28 km south of Bikaner in Rajasthan on Thursday night.
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No Overhaul for USS John F. KennedyThe U.S. Navy cancelled the fiscal year '05 Complex Overhaul (COH) for USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) April 1. Resulting from this decision, the homeport shift from Mayport, Fla., to Norfolk, Va., will not occur.
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